Liberty State Park in Jersey City will be the site of various unique events in the next few years including the 2010 Red Bull Air Race New York in June, the third Annual “City of Water Day” in July, and Liberty Humane Society’s Bark in the Park in October. But as of last week, auto racing will not be among these upcoming events.
Despite three weeks of discussions with officials in charge of the international Grand Prix Formula One auto racing championship recently, the city decided last week not to allow the race to come to the state-run Liberty State Park in 2012.
“I have instructed the Tourism Office to withdraw the proposal immediately.” – Mayor Jerramiah Healy
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However, the proposal had Sam Pesin, president of an activist group called the Friends of Liberty State Park, up in arms. Pesin, whose father Morris was one of the creators of the 1,212-acre park that opened in 1976, made his displeasure known by posting information about the race at a display table during the annual Friends luncheon on Sunday.
Pesin also encouraged the audience to urge Mayor Jerramiah Healy and the head of the state Department of Environmental Protection to avoid bringing the race to the park.
Many of the attendees at the luncheon said they were also dismayed at the park being considered as a possible site for a Grand Prix race.
The group obtained documents saying that a 3.6-mile track would be built within the park so that the race could “provide the least impact to city functions.” But Pesin pointed out that the track would be built in an area where a major wetlands restoration project is st to take place in the near future.
A deal with Formula One for the three-day race would also have called for a guaranteed five-year contract to hold the race in Jersey City, and the track would be used by the public between races for activities like walking, biking, and sporting events.
Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who Morrill said was not involved in the discussions with Formula One, issued a statement last week turning down the race proposal.
“I have come to the same conclusion as Sam Pesin and the Friends of Liberty State Park that this type of event is not suited for Liberty State Park,” Healy said. “I have instructed the [state’s] Tourism Office to withdraw the proposal immediately.”
A DEP spokesperson said the department was aware of the proposal but only knew of it as an “idea being floated” since no application to hold the race in Liberty State Park was submitted to the DEP.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.
Luncheon honors park supporters
The Friends of Liberty State Park celebrated the volunteers who have built and preserved the park at its fundraising luncheon on Sunday at the Liberty House Restaurant, located within the park.
The honorees included former state Assemblywoman Maureen Ogden; Hudson County Freeholder Bill O’Dea; the non-profit organization Jersey Cares; Ted Lai, advisor to the Honor Society at Hudson College Community College; longtime park activist Nikki Sirken, and Iome Alexander, a dedicated gardening volunteer. Each honoree received a plaque.
Sirken, a Jersey City Heights resident, said “she didn’t know what to say.” But then she addressed the 200 people at the luncheon about the importance of the volunteers over the years who saved parts of the park from being turned into a water park and a doll museum, among other things.
Alexander joked that she was going to have a “nervous breakdown” speaking in public, but said she “loved” being in the park.
O’Dea said he was honored to have received an award from the Friends of Liberty State Park, whom he said were “pure” in their efforts to preserve the park.
“They insure there is a park, make sure this is a public park, make sure it is not overdeveloped, and make sure it is a people’s park,” O’Dea said.